Electric lantern



M y 2- M. WILEY I 1,357,993

ELECTRI C LANTERN Filed Dec. 3, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 May 10, 1932. M, WILEY 1;857,993

ELECTRIC LANTERN Filed Dec. 3, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 m 1/ WM Patented May 10, 1932 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE LEE M.WILEY, OF MARION, INDIANA, ASSIGNOR TO DELTA ELECTRIC COMPANY, OF 7 MARION, INDIANA A CORPORATION OF INDIANA ELECTRIC LANTERN Application filed December This invention relates to electric lanterns and has among its primary objects to provide connections necessary for the operation of;

the lantern circuit.

Further and other objects and advantages will become apparent as the disclosure proceeds and the description is read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the lantern;

Fig. 2 is a rear view of the same;

Fig. 3 is a central, vertical section taken on the line 33 of Fig. 4;

Fig. 4 is a central, horizontal, section taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a rear sectional view taken on the line 55 of Fig. 3 and looking in the direction of the arrows;

Fig. 6 is a longitudinal section of the switch;

Fig. 7 is a perspective view of the battery holder; and

Figs. 8 and 9 are enlarged, detailed, sectional views taken on the lines 88 and 99, respectively, of Fig. 7.

In the preferred embodiment of this invention, the lantern comprises a casing 10 having a rear door 11 permitting access to the interior of the casing and held in closed position by a latch 12. A pair of loop handles 13 are provided on the door to permit the lantern to be carried on the belt of the user, but which have suflicient clearance to enable the lantern to be carried by hand. A bail handle 14 is also provided for ordinary carry.

The inner assembly comprises a battery holder having an insulator base 15 centrally apertured at 16 to receive the reflector 17 in which is socketed a single contact incandescent lamp 18. Means are provided on the rear face of the base for carrying a pair of dry cell batteries 19 and 20, these means taking the form of two-pronged cathode clips 21 and 22 and single-pronged anode clips 23 and 24. A fiat conductor 25 joins the clips 23 and 22, connecting the batteries in series relation. The use of two-pronged clips for the cathode of the batteries and of singlepronged clips for the anode eliminates the 3, 1929. Serial No. 411,356.

possibility of error in the insertion of the atteries. A

A spring terminal 26 rises from the rear face of'the base and is connected by a flat conductor 27 to the clip 24. In juxtaposition to the spring terminal 26 is a like terminal 28 which is electrically connected to a contact arm 29 which extends inwardly and rearwardlyover the central aperture of the base and bears upon the end terminal of the lamp.

Small metallic lugsv 30, 31 and 32 are provided flanking the aperture 16 and form a seat for the reflector. One of these lugs, viz. lug 30, is riveted to the cathode clip 21. The lug 31, which, in this instance, happens to be located directly underneath the clip 23, is insulated therefrom by a small strip of insulating paper 33 which is inserted between the clip and the conductor 25, as shown most clearly in Fig. 9. The rivet 34 which makes the electrical connection between the clip 23 and the conductor 25 is givena driving fit to insure a proper connection.

In order. to obviate the possibility of a short-circuit, the entire front face of the base is preferably provided with a sheet of insulating paper, as shown at 45, and secured thereto by any suitable means, such as rivets When the reflector, the lamp, and the battery holder, including the batteries, are in their assembled position, the base terminal of the lamp is in engagement with the contact arm 29, and the reflector is seated upon the metallic lugs 30, 31 and 32 making elec-' trical connection between the reflector and the clip 21. The seating ofthe reflector 17 on the lug is shown in Fig. 8.

The switch mechanism may be any one of a number of types, the one here employed taking the form of a slide switch in which a pair of contact blocks 35-and- 36 are inset in a plate of insulating material 37, as shown in. Fig. 6. A slide plate 38, having buttons 39 spaced from each other, is adapted to slide along the inner face of the insulating plate I and to register with suitablenotches or hol-, lows formed therein and in the bases of the contact blocks to hold the switch in open or closed circuit positions as desired.

A finger piece 40 extends through the side of the casing and is provided with a recess in which a compression spring 41, having one end seated within a pocket in the slide plate plunger 42, serves to continually force the slide plate in contact with the inner face of the plate 37 and its associated contact blocks. As the switch is moved from one position to another, the slide plate, whichis given sufiicient clearance from the finger piece, is caused to move in and out with respect to the casing as it passes from closed to open circuit position, and vice versa. The notches in the insulating plate 37 and in the bases of the contact blocks firmly hold the switch in its desired position.

The lantern being assembled, and the switch being set .at closed circuit position, the circuit may then be traced through the terminal 28, the contact arm 29, the base terminal of the lamp, the reflector, the lug 30, the batteries, the conductor 27, the terminal 26, the slide plate 38, and back to the terminal 28.

Y The reardoor 11 of the casing has riveted to it a pair of arched leaf springs 43 which maintain the batteries in their proper position and exerts an inward pressure sufficient to insure a proper contact of the reflector with the lug 80. A lens 4A is provided to protect the reflector and bulb from injury.

An important feature of the invention is the provision of a lantern including a casing, a battery, and a reflector supporting a lamp, in which the circuit excludes the casing. This construction is superior to those in which the casing is included in the circuit, since the battery is not discharged if one of its poles, or other part of the circuit, should accidentally come into contact with'the casing.

It is apparent that thisin-vention may be embodied in a variety of forms and it is to be understood that the particular construction above described is but illustrative of the many possible embodiments, reference being had to the appended claims for determining the true scope of the'invention.

I claim as my invention:

1. In an electric lantern of the type which includes a casing containing a battery, a reflector and a lamp supported in the reflector p and having one terminal electrically connected therewith, a plate of insulating material supported in the casing for mounting the battery having a pair of spaced apart and normally unconnected switch terminals mounted on a face of the plate and provided with conductors establishing a circuit including the battery, reflector, lamp and switch terminals, said-casing being excluded from the circuit, and a switch adapted to bridge the terminals to complete the circuit.

2. In an electric lantern of the type which includes a casing containing a battery, a reflector and a lamp supported in the reflector having one of its terminals electrically connected with the reflector, a plate of insulating material supported in the casing for mounting the battery having an element electrically connected with the reflector and one pole of the battery, and having a switch terminalconnected to the other pole of the battery, a second switch terminal mounted on the plate and electrically connected to the other terminal of thelamp, and a switch adapted to connect said switch terminals, said casing being excluded from the circuit.

31 In an electric lantern, the combination with a casing having a door, a lens, a reflector back of the lens and a bulb having one of its terminals connected with the reflector, of abattery support fitting within the casing and constituting a seat for the reflector, and having resilient clamping terminals for a pair of dry cells, one of the terminals having contact with the reflector, means for serially connecting the cells, a pair of resilient terminal plates, one thereof being connected with one of the clamping terminals, a spring contact arm associated with the other terminal plate and yieldingly engaging the center terminal of the bulb, spring means carried by the door for urging the support against the reflector and the contact arm against the bulb, anda switch for connecting the terminal plates.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

LEE M. WILEY. 

